Corruption has not yet been completely eradicated despite President Duterte's relentless efforts to curb the problem in government, Malacañang admitted Thursday, July 15.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque acknowledged the uphill battle against corruption before giving the President a score of 8 out of 10 in the drive to clean up the bureaucracy.
According to Roque, the President has taken steps to remove corrupt officials, but fighting corruption remained an "unfinished business."
"We’re satisfied pero hindi po talaga natanggal. Aaminin naman mismo ng Presidente 'yan (but it has not been eradicated. The President himself will admit that)," Roque said during a media interview Thursday.
"This is one of the unfinished business na sinasabi ng President (mentioned by the President) so by grade I think I would give the President an 8 out of 10 on corruption," he added.
The President has promised to use the remainder of his term to run after corrupt public servants. Duterte, previously promised to end corruption when he ran for the presidency, has expressed frustration with the endemic corruption in government and later admitted that eradicating the menace was "impossible."
As part of his intensified anti-corruption campaign, Duterte had read aloud the names of officials either suspended or dismissed due to allegations of corruption during his weekly televised address to the nation.
Roque maintained that the President does not condone corruption in government.
"Saan ka naman nakakita ng president na linggo-linggo sa 'Talk to the People' ay binabasa 'yung pangalan ng nasisibak sa gobyerno (Where can you find a President who reads the names of dismissed government officials in his weekly Talk to the People). It’s to show by means of example to others na hindi kinokonsinte ang korapsyon pero syempre ang katotohanan ay naririyan pa rin (he does not tolerate corruption but of course the truth is it still exists)," he said.
The latest remarks from the Palace about the anti-corruption campaign came ahead of the President's sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA). Duterte is expected to trumpet his accomplishments in the past year and present his plans in his final year in office during his public address.